Foldable mop



March 2, 1954 w. H. RICHARDS AL ,670,4

FOLDABLE MOP Filed April 15, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

W. HRICHARDS & W.F RICHARDS.

ATTORNEY INVENTORS March 2, 1954 w. H. RICHARDS ET AL FOLDABLE MOP 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1952 INVENTORS W. H. RlcHAR us ATTORNEYa, W, FRI HARDS lll |||||| Ill:

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Patented Mar. 2, 1954 STATES PAT EINT OFFICE FOLDABLE MOP Williamllz-Richardsand WiliiamJF. Richards, Rehoboth, Deli AppiioationApril f5,195.2, SeriaFNo'. 2823367 (01. Ha -T19 2- Claims; 1 Our inventionrelates to scrub mops;

primary object of the'invention is to providea: scrub mop embodying afol'ciabl'e mophead which greatly facilitates squeezing liquid from theabsorbent scrubbing element of the'mop.

A further object of. the invention is to provide a cleaning or scrubbingdevice having a novel adj'nst'able handle'whi'ch" enables the device tobe used for a Wide variety of purposes, such as scrubbing fioorsandwindows; and cleaning under low'o'bjects'such as? radiators and thelike:

A further object istc provide a cleaning device or" mop" of the" ab'ov'ementioned character which has a readily detachable. handle, whereby thedevice may be usedeither as a long handle mop or" as a hand-scrubbing:implement.

A further object is'to provide a mop assembly having. an adjustablehandle which may be raised and lowered and also turned with respect tothe mopih'ead and releasably locked in the selected. adjusted'position.

A stillfurther object of the invention is to pro-- vide a device of theabove-mentioned. character which is sturdy and durable, simplified andeconomical in construction and reliable in" operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the: following description.

In the accompanying; drawings forming apart of this application and inwhich like numerals are employed" to designate like parts, throughoutthe same,

Figure 1 is a plan view of'a mop o'r' scrubbing device embodying our"invention, part: broken away,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Figure 3' is an end elevation of:them-op;-

Figure 4 is a central vertical section on line" f-ofi=igare 2,

Figure 5. is" a fragmentary rear side elevation O'f'the mop,

Figurefi is a fragmentaryplanview of the's'a'me with the adjustablehandle assembly removed,

Figure 7 is a plan view of the mop with the handle extendinglongitudinally of the mophead and arranged in the lowered or horizontalposition', and,

Figure 8" is a side elevation of the map as" i-llustrated in Figure? andshowing in clotted lines the operation of the folda'b'le mop-head foreX- pel-lm the liquid from the absorbent element of them'op;

In thed'rawines, Wherefor the purpose of'il' lustrati'onis shown. apreferred embodiment of 2? orally a fold'abl'emophead or body portionwhich is" elongate-c1- and rectangular, as shoWn.-- The" mophead it;comprises an elongated rectangular block or pad H, preferably formed ofcell'ulos'ic sponge material, or' the like. The sponge block l"l-' ispreferably of substantial thickness and'may' be approximately an inchand one-quarter thick, althou h this thickness ma be varied as desired.pair of separate substantially Hatand rigid backingfplatesl2 and I 3 arefixedly secured to the top of the sponge block H" by means of waterproofcement, or the like, and these" backing plates are generally rectangularand cover the I major portion of the area of the top of the spongeblockl t, as shown. The backing plate'sl'Z and be provided at their oppositesides with short depending flanges Hi, integral therewith and extendingdownwardly for a short distance over the sides of the sponge block i 5.These flanges M add rigidity to the backing plates l2- and" i3; andfurther aid in firmly securing the sponge block to the backing plates.'Ihe'opposit'e ends of theelong'ated sponge block H preferably" projecta slight distance beyond the-outer ends of the backing plates 52 and ii,to prevent mar riiig or scratching of furniture and the likedur ing"the" operation of the mop, since the spongeblock is soft andpli'able.

Theinn'er ends of the backin plates [2' and I 3 are spaced apartlongitudinally, and hingelinucicl'es F5 are formed upon the inner endsof the backing plates near the" longitudinal sides of the same, andintegral therewith. The hinge knuckles l5 project abovethe to faces of"the" backingplat'es i2 and i3, as shown.

the pairs of knuckles i Siori'nedupon the backing plates. The adapter itfurther compriseselon gated longitudinal extensions it" at the ops-osite sides of the same and formed integral with the central portion -1-and extending lor'ig'itii dirial ly outwardly of the hinge knuckles- [-5for substantial distances, as shown". The outer ends of the extensionsit) are" d.'ownturnecl to provide short depending legs or stops 29integral therewith and adapted to engage the tops of the back irrglatesF2 to limit the upward movement of our"- invention, the numeral- 1 6**clesignates gen- W tiresame: Transverse hingepins zl are-received- 3 bythe interfitting knuckles l5 and I8, for hingedly securing the backingplates [2 and [3 to the adapter [6.

The arrangement is such that the mophead III is foldable downwardly fromthe adapter 16 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 8, for compressing andsqueezing the sponge block H to expel water or the like from the same.The depending stops 28 prevent the backing plates l2 from swinging abovethe horizontal positions shown in Figures 2 and 8 during the use of themop.

Our readily detachable and adjustable handle assembly 22 comprises agenerally flat rigid base or mounting plate 23, slidably mounted uponthe top of the adapter [6 and detachably pivotally connected therewithby an upwardly directed bolt or screw 24,- engaging through registeringopenings 25 and 26, formed centrally within the adapter portion IT andmounting plate 23, Figure 4. The bolt 24 is provided above the mountingplate 23 with a washer 2! and a winged nut 28 or the like, adjustablefor releasably securing the handle assembly 22 in the selected adjustedposition relative to the mophead H].

The handle mounting plate 23 has a rear integral flat extension 29,projecting horizontally beyond the rear side of the mounting plate 23,and the rear end of the extension 29 is downturned to form a shortdepending flange or stop 30. This flange 30 is adapted to engage eitherlongitudinal edge 3! of the adapter [6, or either end of the sameadjacent to the: depending stops 20, when the winged nut 28 is loosenedsufficiently to permit turning of the mounting plate 23 upon the adapterH5. The arrangement is such that the mounting plate 23 may be turned afull 360 degrees relative to the adapter l6 and releasably locked in anyone of four positions, each 90 degrees apart, by means of the engagementof the depending flange 3D with either longitudinal edge 3| or witheither end of the adapter I 6. The depending flange 30 is long enough tobridge the gap between the longitudinal extensions l9, Figure 6, whenthe handle asembly 22 is adjusted to extend longitudinally of themophead to. When the winged nut 28 is tightened against the mountingplate 23, the same is forced into tight engagement with the top of theadapter IB, and the depending flange 30 then locks the handle assembly22 against pivotal or turning movement relative to the mophead Ill. Thehandle assembly 22 is therefore pivotally adjustable relative to themophead it so that the handle may extend either transversely orlongitudinally of the mophead, from either side or end of the same.

The mounting plate 23 is provided at its forward end with an integraltransverse hinge knuckle 32, disposed above the mounting plate andextending for the full width thereof. At its rear end, the mountingplate 23 has a pair of transversely spaced hinge knuckles 33, integraltherewith and disposed forwardly of the extension 29 and dependingflange 30. A mop handle 34 of any desired length is provided at itslower end with a plate extension or web 35, rigidly secured thereto byscrews 36 or the like and this plate extension is provided at its lowerend with a hinge knuckle 37, integral therewith and interfitting withthe hinge knuckles 33 of the mounting plate 23. A pin 38 is received bythe interfitting knuckles 33 and 31, and serves to hingedly secure thelower end of the handle 34 to the handle mounting plate 23.

Means are provided to adjust the angle of the mop handle 34 fromsubstantially vertical to sub;

4 stantially horizontal positions. Such means comprises a bail 39 of astiff wire or the like, including upwardly converging sides 4|, formedat their upper ends to provide a transverse bar or latch element 42having eyes or loops 43 at its opposite ends, and integral therewith.The lower ends of the sides 4! are bent to form short inwardly directedextensions 40, pivotally engaging within the ends of the forward knuckle32, and removable therefrom by merely flexing the sides 4| outwardly.The bar 42 is adapted to selectively engage within transverse slots ornotches 44, formed in the forward side of the handle 34 near its lowerend. A retractable coil spring 45 surrounds the rear side of the handle34 and has its opposite ends secured to the eyes 43 of the wire bail 39.The spring 45 serves to releasably secure the bar 42 within the selectedone of the notches 44. By raising the wire bail 39 slightly against theforce of the spring 45, the bar or latch element 42 may be readilyshifted to any one of the notches 44, to thus change the angle of thehandle 34 relative to the mophead l0, as desired. The arrangement issuch that when the bar 42 engages the uppermost notch 44, the handle 34is substantially vertical or perpendicular to the mophead l0, and whenthe bar a 42 engages the lowermost notch 44, the handle is substantiallyhorizontal or parallel to the mophead Hl, as shown in Figures '7 and 8.

With the above described arrangement for adjusting the angle of thehandle 34 through a full degrees, and coupled with the pivotaladjustment of the handle assembly relative to the mophead IB, by meansof the winged nut 28, locking flange 33 and associated elements, the mopis well adapted for use in a wide variety of cleaning operations. Forexample, with the handle 34 fully lowered and substantially horizontal,Figure 8, and the assembly 22 adjusted to extend longitudinally of themophead I 0, the device is very handy for scrubbing under low radiatorsor other low pieces of furniture or the like. In other angularlyadiusted positions of the handle 34, and with the handle assembly 22extending transversely of the mophead I0, Figures 1 and 3, the mop isobviously capable of a wide variety of cleaning and scrubbing uses, suchas scrubbing floors, washing windows or the like. It should also bementioned that the sponge mop is also ideal for applying liquid wax orthe like to floors, linoleum and the like.

Various component parts of the mop may be made from any desiredmaterial, although it is preferred to make the various parts such asthey backing plates l2 and I3, adapter i6 and mounting plate 23 fromsheet metal, such as aluminum or the like. While the pad or block I Ihas been described as a cellulosic sponge block, it should also beunderstood that any other absorbent pliable scrubbing element may beused, such as sponge rubber, sheepskin or the like.

It is to be understood that the form of our i vention, herewith shownand described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, andthat various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A mop comprising a compressible scrubbing pad, substantially rigidbacking plate sections secured to a side of the scrubbing pad andcovering a major portion of said side and being pro-- de? at r es dm ndth in e r a.

substantially rigid adapter arranged above the backing plate sectionsand having hinge parts interfitting with the hinge parts of the backingplate sections, pins engaging the hinge parts of the adapter and backingplate sections for hingedly connecting the same and allowing the backingplate sections to swing together in generally parallel relationforcompressing the scrubbing pad, the adapter engaging the backing platesections when the same are longitudinally extended to prevent themfrorii swinging in one direction, a mounting plate slidably mounted uponthe adapter and having a flange selectively engageable with differentsides of the adapter to releasably secure the mounting plate againstturning movement relative to the adapter, adjustable bolt meansconnecting the adapter and mounting plate and permitting disengagementof the flange and difierent sides of the adapter, a handle hingedlyconnected with the mounting plate for angular adjustment relativethereto, and adjustable means connected with the handle to releasablylock the same in the selected angularly adjusted position.

2. A mop comprising a compressible scrubbing pad, backing plate sectionssecured to one side of the scrubbing pad and being provided atcorresponding ends with hinge parts, an adapter plate arranged above thebacking plate sections and having hinge parts interfltting with thehinge parts of the backing plate sections, pins engaging said hingeparts of the adapter plate and backing plate sections and hingedlyconnecting the same and allowing the backing plate sections to. swingtogether in generally parallel relation for compressing the scrubbingpad, the adapter plate engaging the backing plate sections when the sameare longitudinally extended and preventing them from swinging in onedirection, a mounting plate slidably mountedupon the adapter plate andhaving a flange selectively engageable with different sides of theadapter plate to releasably secure the mounting plate against turningrelative to the adapter plate, adjustable bolt means connecting theadapter plate and mounting plate and permitting disengagement of saidflange and different sides of the adapter plate, and a handle connectedwith the mounting plate.

WILLIAM H. RICHARDS.

WILLIAM F. RICHARDS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 911,791 Whitney Feb. 9, 1909 1,344,256 Blackman June 22, 19202,310,011 Cave et a1 Feb. 2, 1943 2,637,059 Vosbikian et al May 5, 19532,643,407 Vosbikian et a1. June 30, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 463,790 Canada Mar. 21, 1950 466,474 Canada July 11, 1950

